1.0 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ceiling fans and more specifically to low profile ceiling fans incorporating a remote control receiver within the motor housing of the ceiling fan.
2.0 Related Art
Ceiling fans have become an increasingly popular supplementary means of conditioning air within both commercial and residential buildings. The growing popularity of ceiling fans has resulted in a wide variety of improvements to these products, affecting performance, appearance and ease of operation. A recent advance in ceiling fan technology is the incorporation of a remote control unit, comprising a hand-held or wall-mounted transmitter and a receiver which permits the user to remotely control the fan speed and may also permit remote control of any light fixture which may be included or added as part of the ceiling fan.
Prior to the present invention, the remote control feature has been available with "standard arrangement" ceiling fans (i.e., those which include a canopy and downrod arrangement) but has not been available with conventional "low profile" ceiling fans which may also be referred to as "hugger" ceiling fans in the industry. Low profile or hugger ceiling fans do not include a canopy and downrod arrangement but may otherwise be the same as standard arrangement ceiling fans. Both types of fans include a plurality of fan blades mounted on and rotatably driven by a motor, typically an inside-out motor. Ceiling fans commonly use inside-out motors since the rotating portion, or rotor, of the motor is disposed in surrounding relationship with the stator which facilitates mounting the fan blades on the rotor. Both types of ceiling fans also include a decorative motor housing which at least partially surrounds the motor. The fan blades must be positioned at a certain distance from the floor to achieve proper air circulation. This may be accomplished in rooms having relatively high or vaulted ceilings by using standard arrangement ceiling fans in which the fan is suspended from the ceiling by a canopy and downrod arrangement. However, for relatively lower ceilings, a downrod may position the fan blades too close to the floor. In this event a low profile ceiling fan may be used in which the canopy and downrod are omitted and the motor housing is substantially flush with the ceiling to provide proper spacing of the fan blades above the floor.
Both the transmitter and receiver of a remotely-controlled standard arrangement fan are typically add-on accessories that are purchased separately from the ceiling fan. Alternately, the remote control may be pre-packaged with the ceiling fan. In either case, the receiver is wired into the circuitry of the fan and adjusts the fan speed or lights according to the signals received from the hand-held transmitter.
Add-on or pre-packaged remote control receivers are typically installed in the canopy of standard arrangement fans since this location provides ample room and there are no moving parts within the canopy which could damage the receiver. Alternate locations include the switch housing, or a nearby wall. However, switch housings are not a practical location since they barely have enough space to accommodate the existing circuitry. Further, the potential wiring problems associated with a wall-mounted receiver make this location an unattractive choice.
In addition to the foregoing problems associated with incorporating a remote control receiver in a standard arrangement ceiling fan, low profile ceiling fans do not include a canopy making the potential incorporation of a remote control receiver even more difficult. Due to these problems, the inventor is unaware of any conventional low profile ceiling fans which incorporate a remote control receiver for the advantageous use by the consumer.